Material Specimens Research Articles

The logic between nature and culture: food in the wedding traditions across East Asia

Based on the author’s fieldwork in China and Japan, literature research and the study of specimen materials and video data on weddings of ROK, Japan and China, which are collected by the Japan National Museum of Ethnology (or Minpaku), this paper attempts to explore the cultural symbolic significance that humans bestow on food, and to further reveal the cultural diversity in East Asia and the common structure of human mind by comparing the flow of food and the ways and scopes in which the wedding foods are consumed in East Asia.In East Asia wedding customs, expectations through food for the bride’s fertility and her belonging to her husband’s patrilineal family are very common. However, the food and eating behaviors that express expectations for the groom are rare, only slightly visible in the dry bonito at the time of engagement in Japan and the 12 bowls of rice that the groom will eat on the day of the Yao wedding in China. Dried bonito signifies virility and victory of men, reflecting the features of Japanese maritime culture and the influence of samurai culture in history.East Asian wedding rituals are diverse in form, but the commonality among them can also be seen, that is, human beings find cultural meanings in different natural environments that correspond to human society, and then internalize the natural attributes through homophonic pun, imitation and other ways. Food is used in weddings to express people’s best wishes for the happiness of the newlyweds’ families, to have descendants and longevity of their marriage.

Structural Model Test for Strength Performance Evaluation of Disconnectable Mooring Apparatuses Installed on Floating-Type Offshore Wind Turbine

The destructive power of typhoons has been continuously increasing due to the influence of global warming. In a situation where the installation of floating wind turbines is increasing around the world, concerns about huge losses and collapses of floating offshore wind turbines due to strong typhoons are deepening. Regarding the safe operation of floating offshore wind turbines, the development of a new type of disconnectable mooring system is required. The newly developed disconnectable mooring apparatuses, such as fairlead chain stoppers (FCS) and submersible mooring pulleys (SMP), considered in this study are devised to more easily attach or detach the floating offshore wind turbine with mooring lines compared to other disconnectable mooring systems. In order to investigate the structural safety of the initial design of FCS and SMP that can be applied to MW class floating-type offshore wind turbines, scaled-down structural models were produced using a 3-D printer, and structural tests were performed on those models. For the structural tests of the scaled-down models, tensile specimens of the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material used in the 3-D printing process were prepared, and the material properties were evaluated by performing tensile tests. Finite element analyses of FCS and SMP were performed by applying the material properties obtained from the tensile tests and the same load and boundary conditions as in the scaled-down model structural tests. Through the finite element analyses, the weak structural parts of FCS and SMP were reviewed. The structural model tests were performed considering the main load conditions of the fairlead chain stopper, and the test results were compared to the finite element analyses. Through the results of this study, it was possible to experimentally verify the structural safety of the initial design of disconnectable mooring apparatuses. Furthermore, the study results can be used to improve the structural strength of FCS and SMP in a detailed design stage.

Is microbial adhesion affected by the build orientation of a 3-dimensionally printed denture base resin?

Statement of problemHow the build orientation of a 3-dimensionally (3D) printed denture affects microbial adhesion is unclear. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the adherence of Streptococcus spp. and Candida spp. on 3D-printed denture bases prepared at different build orientations with conventional heat-polymerized resin. Material and methodsResin specimens (n=5) with standardized 28.3 mm2 surface area were 3D printed at 0 and 60 degrees, and heat-polymerized (3DP-0, 3DP-60, and HP, respectively). The specimens were placed in a Nordini artificial mouth (NAM) model and exposed to 2 mL of clarified whole saliva to create a pellicle-coated substratum. Suspensions of Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus sanguinis, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, and a mixed species, each at 108 cfu/mL were pumped separately into the model for 24 hours to promote microbial adhesion. The resin specimens were then removed, placed in fresh media, and sonicated to dislodge attached microbes. Each suspension (100 μL) was aliquoted and spread on agar plates for colony counting. The resin specimens were also examined under a scanning electron microscope. The interaction between types of specimen and groups of microbes was examined with 2-way ANOVA and then further analysis with Tukey honest significant test and Kruskal-Wallis post hoc tests (α=.05). ResultsA significant interaction was observed between the 3DP-0, 3DP-60, and HP specimen types and the groups of microbes adhering to the corresponding denture resin specimens (P<.05). The difference was statistically significant among 3DP-0, 3DP-60, and HP specimens (P<.05). The adherence of candida was 3.98-times lower on the 3DP-0 than that of HP (P<.05). However, adherence of the mixed-species microbes and streptococci on the 3DP-60 were 1.75 times and 2-fold higher, respectively (P<.05). The scanning electron micrographs showed that 3DP-0 exhibited the lowest microbial adherence compared with HP and 3DP-60. ConclusionsAdherence affinity of denture base resin is affected by the build orientation rather than by the group of different microbes. Three-dimensionally printed denture base resin fabricated at a 0-degree build orientation exhibited low affinity for microbial adhesion. Three-dimensionally printed dentures may reduce microbial adhesion when printed at a 0-degree build orientation.

Evaluation of physical, mechanical and sliding wear properties of in-situ AB-TiC composite: a comparison with NAB alloy

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the physical, mechanical and sliding wear properties/response of cast in-situ aluminium bronze (AB)-TiC [(Cu10Al3Fe)5TiC] composite and compare with cast nickel aluminium bronze (NAB) [Cu10Al5Ni5Fe] alloy. Sliding wear tests were conducted in dry and partially lubricant conditions using a pin-on-disc machine. A test material in the form of pin was evaluated against a rotating heat-treated EN-31 steel disc. Wear loss, frictional heating and friction coefficient properties were examined. The NAB alloy showed higher tensile strength (32.7%), compressive strength (7.68% at room temperature. and 4.18% at 500 °C), hardness (8.78%) and density (3.17%), whereas thermal conductivity of the AB-TiC composite was found 4.89% higher than NAB alloy. In dry sliding condition, composite outperformed NAB alloy in terms of wear resistance up to a critical applied load and/or sliding speed. Beyond this point, the wear behavior altered. Increasing sliding speed caused to reduce wear transition load. While friction coefficient showed mixed trend. Under lubricated wear test conditions, AB-TiC composite displayed considerably higher wear resistance (50.08%, 44.41% & 51.55%) and friction coefficient (26.37%, 40.75% & 14.96%) than the NAB alloy when tested in only oil, oil with 100 μm graphite and oil with 7–10 μm graphite respectively. Arrival of seizure in general caused significantly higher wear loss and temperature rise. In addition, it caused large adhesion of the specimen material to the disc surface. The reported wear behaviour of the samples has been validated using the features of wear surfaces and subsurface regions. The latter also permitted to comprehend the working wear processes. The analysis significantly shows good impacts of the oil lubrication (with and without solid particles) in terms of decreasing wear rate, frictional heating, and friction coefficient. Formation of steady lubricating film/layer was reported to be responsible for the better wear performance of the samples. Furthermore, irrespective of material composition and microstructure there exists a precise set of test parameters (e.g. load and speed) leading to optimal wear performance wherein the beneficial impacts of load bearing capability, thermal stability of various phases predominates.

Copper-nickel functionally magnetic gradient material fabricated via directed energy deposition

In this paper, a functional gradient material (FGM) of CuSn10 and Inconel 718 is fabricated through a laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing process. Experimental studies are performed to examine the microstructures, the interface bonding behaviors, and the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting FGMs. The result shows that a sound metallurgical bonding was formed at the interface section. The electrical resistivity for CuSn10, IN718, and CuSn10 – IN718 samples are tested for a temperature range of 320 to 390 K, CuSn10 – IN718 specimen displayed its value in the middle range of its counterparts. The CuSn10 – IN718 FGM displayed the highest absolute Seebeck coefficient in the temperature range 320 K to 390 K. The change in the Seebeck coefficient of the FGM showed a 70 % increase from the single material specimens. This boost indicated a reduction in carrier density across the interface, theorized to be influenced by the interface of the FGM. During the compression strength test, a folding deformation occurred in the copper alloy region but neither buckling nor deformation was triggered at the interface section.

EXPRESSION OF CYCLIN D1 IN ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA AND ITS CORRELATION WITH HISTOPATHOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin D1 is an important protein that has a widespread role in governing cell proliferation rates, and cell cycle regulations. In variety of tumors overexpression of Cyclin D1 has been reported. Present study was carried out to study the expression of cyclin D1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its association with histopathological differentiation and staging. To correlate expression AIM &amp; OBJECTIVES: of cyclin D1 with histological grading and staging in oral squamous cell carcinoma. 98 biopsy specimens of oral MATERIALS &amp; METHODS: squamous cell carcinoma were included in this study and were immunohistochemically evaluated for expression of cyclin D1. Samples were received and reported in Department of Pathology Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh A total of 98 cases of oral RESULT: squamous cell carcinoma were studied. Cyclin D1 reactivity was seen in 76% cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Cyclin D1 reactivity did not correlate with site, tumor grade, and stage, whereas Cyclin D1 expression score which was obtained by multiplication of labeling index score and intensity showed signicant correlation with tumor grade and stage. Higher Cycli CONCLUSION: n D1 expression observed in patients with less differentiated tumours and with higher stage. Therefore, there is value of analysing cyclin D1 amplication and expression, for prognostic evaluation. This may also be further used for targeted therapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Analysis of mechanical properties of 3D printed metallic specimens of aluminum (CL31) bronze (CL80) material manufactured at varying laser scanning speed

In our research work, we analyzed the mechanical properties of 3D-printed metallic specimens of aluminium bronze material. In our evaluation, we had five groups of specimens, manufactured at different laser scanning speeds. In total, we had 25 specimens for which we examined various parameters like ultimate tensile strength, engineering yield point, relative strain, and hardness. Results showed that specimens prepared with a lower laser scanning speed of 300mm/s showed the lowest tensile strength. The tensile strength increased with increasing laser scan speed and the highest tensile strength was attained by specimens of the fourth group that were produced at a laser scanning speed of 500mm/s. The relative strain of specimens also increased with the increasing scan speed of the laser. The Brinell hardness test also showed an elevation in hardness values with increasing laser scan speeds.

Two almost‐forgotten Trypanites ichnospecies names for the most common Palaeozoic macroboring

AbstractTrypanites is the most common macroboring with a global occurrence throughout the Phanerozoic and is the eponym of the Trypanites ichnofacies. It has great value for the recognition of discontinuity and hiatal surfaces on top of carbonate hardgrounds. Four ichnospecies of this ichnogenus are currently regarded as valid, while a characteristic fifth form from the early Palaeozoic is frequently reported in open nomenclature. The latter commonly occurs in lithic hardgrounds and skeletal hard substrates (such as stromatoporoids, bryozoans and corals) in Ordovician and Silurian carbonates of the Baltic region. A review of the old literature found that this ichnospecies has previously been introduced twice, as Trypanites sozialis Eisenack from a Silurian erratic boulder found on the Sambia Peninsula near Kaliningrad (now Russia), and as T. keilaensis Orviku from the Ordovician of Estonia. Both ichnospecies became forgotten names for unknown reasons. A morphometric analysis of the type material and topotype specimens indicates gradational transitions between both ichnospecies, rendering T. sozialis as the senior synonym of T. keilaensis. A lectotype from the type series of both ichnospecies is defined and additional material from Ordovician and Silurian carbonates of Estonia and Russia is described and illustrated to show the morphological and morphometric variation of this important bioerosion trace fossil. To enable interspecies comparison, a lectotype of the type ichnospecies of Trypanites, T. weisei Mägdefrau, is selected. Trypanites sozialis is a common boring in Cambrian to Devonian hardgrounds and occurs on the palaeocontinents of Baltica, Laurentia and Gondwana.

A general correlation between ductile fracture toughness and unified constraint parameter for different materials

In structural integrity assessment based on the two-parameter approach with considering constraint, it is an important step to establish a correlation between fracture toughness and constraint parameter for a specific material. But it is difficult and costly. In this work, based on a large number of ductile fracture toughness JC data measured from specimens with different geometries and crack sizes for different materials and finite element calculation of a newly developed unified constraint parameter Ad* for each specimen, a general correlation equation between JC and Ad* has been established. This correlation equation may be applied to predict constraint-dependent fracture toughness for different materials and structures, and its prediction capability has been validated by a great quantity of experimental fracture toughness data of various specimen geometries and materials (including welded joints). This correlation equation has a wide application range and may provide a simple and convenient engineering method to estimate constraint-dependent ductile fracture toughness.

Test program on stiffened column bases subjected to cyclic loading

This article presents the recorded data from an experimental campaign on stiffened steel column bases. The connection configuration comprises an exposed base plate on which vertical stiffeners are welded to strengthen the assembly. Using stiffened column bases is common in several countries where providing thick steel plates is not practical. However, despite their broad application in existing steel structures, there was rare experimental data collected exclusively on their hysteresis response to seismic excitations. The designed testing program intends to document the connection behavior under cyclic loading. This article describes the data collection process, including specimen geometry, material properties, construction details, test setup, instrumentation, and loading history. The qualitative observations are reported to support the data application, and the recorded data set is deposited publicly for future use (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7058873).

In-plane shear experimental method and mechanical behavior of ceramic matrix mini-composites

In-plane shear mechanical experiments of ceramic matrix mini-composites (CMMC) were realized in this paper by overcoming the difficulties of material preparation, specimen design, gripping and loading, deformation measurement, etc. The in-plane shear stress-strain responses of different matrix volume fractions were obtained based on the method. The stress-strain response of CMMC was strongly non-linear, and its elastic modulus and strength were positively correlated to the matrix volume fraction. The main factors affecting the digital image correlation (DIC) based micro-region shear deformation measurement are analyzed quantitatively, and the corresponding solutions are discussed. The DIC calculation time model is established, and the accurate estimation of DIC processing time is realized. The shear strain field evolution clearly captured the matrix crack initiation and propagation.

On the ballistic perforation performance of additively manufactured 316 L stainless steel cylindrical projectiles

The applications of structures made through additive manufacturing (AM) have recently received much attention. In this study, 316 L stainless steel (SS316L) blanks with different dimensions were printed and machined into material specimens and projectiles. Then, metallurgical investigations were conducted to study the microstructures of the as-built AM SS316L samples. Uniaxial tensile and dynamic compression tests were conducted to study the mechanical behaviors of AM SS316L in the material deposition direction. Next, a ballistic test was performed to determine the ability of AM cylindrical blunt projectiles to penetrate Weldox 460E steel plates. The results of the microstructure analysis of the remnants were examined, and the mechanism of microcrack formation in a molten pool was revealed. The results indicate that the molten pool structures may be a key factor affecting the ballistic performance of AM projectiles. For comparison, the tests described above were repeated on traditional cold-rolled (CR) SS316L materials. The ballistic test results show that the ballistic limit velocity of AM projectiles is 8.8% higher than that of CR projectiles, implying no significant decrease in ballistic performance for AM projectiles from an offensive view. Finally, based on a modified Johnson-Cook model, a numerical simulation was implemented in LS-DYNA. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results. This research provides a reference for the application of AM materials in ballistic perforation.

Effect of Milling Parameters on Amplitude Spectrum of Vibrations during Milling Materials Based on Wood

Milling with use of CNC machines is a well-established method and much research was concluded on this topic. However, when it comes to wood and wood composites, the material non-homogeneity brings a lot of variability into cutting conditions. As a part of research into potential signals for nesting milling, material vibrations at clamping points were examined in this study. The main goal was to conclude if cutting parameters have a statistically significant effect on measurement. The place of measurement was analyzed so it was accessible to the machine operator. Medium density fiberboard and particleboard specimens were cut through by razor and spiral mill, with spindle rotating 10,000 and 20,000 min−1 and feed rates 2, 6, 10 m·min−1. Vibrations were measured at vacuum grippers, and were then processed by fast Fourier transform. Then, frequency spectrum maxima were compared, as well as amplitude sizes. Main frequencies were of roughly 166 Hz and multiples, suggesting their origin in tool rotation. When maxima were compared, tool use, spindle rotation, and feed rate seemed to affect the result. Frequency spectrum amplitudes were subjected to analysis of variance, significant effect was found on spindle speed, tool, and specimen material. No significant effect was found with differing feed rates.

Комбінований протиударний та протимінний захист на основі деталей з алюмінієвих сплавів

This paper considers the use of aluminum alloy parts for combined mine protection of armored combat vehicles. The study was concerned with anti-mine shields mounted on an armored combat vehicle body model. The model was made of 16 mm armor steel. The total mass of the model (without an anti-mine shield) was 31.1 kg. An anti-mine shield was gripped between two frames and secured with bolts. To eliminate the effect of the soil on the test results, the explosive charges were installed on a 70 mm metal plate. The charges were initiated with an ED-8Zh electrodetonator. TG-50/50 explosive was used. A DYTRAN 3200B acceleration sensor was mounted at the center of the model, and the sensor signal was measured using an experimental system. To assess the model acceleration without any energy loss by elastic or plastic deformations, the acceleration of the model with a rigid anti-mine shield (a rigid armor steel plate of thickness 10 mm and mass 10.7 kg) was assessed. A finite-element simulation of the model was conducted. The effect of explosion load parameters on the model acceleration was studied. The simulated and the actual deflections were compared using an EinScan Pro 2X Plus 3D scanner. The speed and the acceleration of the model with a rigid and a plastic anti-mine shield were simulated and measured. The results showed that annealed parts made of Al-Mg alloys, in particular AMg6 alloy, absorb the explosion energy better. Any of the anti-mine shields made of AMg6 alloy reduces the acceleration at the center of the plate and thus the load on the armored vehicle body by a factor of 20…25 in comparison with the anti-mine shields made of armor steel. It was shown that annealing best provides the required physical and mechanical characteristics of the load-bearing parts of anti-mine shields, it is advisable to shape and structurize their porous energy-absorbing elements by pressing up to 33 MPa, it is most advisable to paste the porous energy-absorbing elements to the load-bearing parts, and after separate tests of load-bearing part and porous energy-absorbing element material specimens it is advisable to try out combined constructions of anti-mine shields for armored combat vehicles of different purposes.

Preparation of new copper smelting slag-based mine backfill material and investigation of its mechanical properties

The stockpiling of copper smelting slag (CSS) has broken the ecological environment of the mining area, and the resource utilization of CSS is an urgent requirement to promote ecological sustainable development. The optimal cementitious material ratio determines as 69:15:6:2:8 for CSS: cement clinker (CC): gypsum powder (GP):NaOH: slaked lime (SL) by analyzing the physical and chemical properties of CSS and the uniaxial compressive strengths (UCS) at 3d, 7d and 28d curing ages investigate. The uniaxial compressive strengths reached 3.55 MPa, 9.48 MPa, and 32.43 MPa. In the meantime, XRF, XRD, EDS, and SEM microscopic analysis of the prepared gelling material specimens explored the hydration products and microstructural changes of the backfill gelling system and revealed the hydration mechanism of the gelling system and the strength formation mechanism of the specimens. The results of the experimental study showed that the strength of the specimens at different maintenance ages was subject to different significance arrangements of the factors. Based on the optimized ratio of composite cementitious materials, the 28d UCS of the filler prepared by synergistic tailing sand reaches 3.88 MPa, which can meet the jksg of partial mine filler mining. Applying copper smelting slag-based gelling backfill materials (CSSM) at mine sites reduces backfill costs while effectively reducing solid waste emissions, thereby protecting the environment and promoting the realization of waste-free mines and green mining.

Predictive role of magnetic resonance imaging in the distinction of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant grade 4 astrocytomas versus glioblastomas.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status is a crucial prognostic factor in high-grade glial tumors. To investigate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features can display a diagnostic performance in the determination of IDH mutation in high-grade gliomas. A total of 170 patients including 24 IDH mutant grade 4 astrocytomas and 146 glioblastomas (GBM) were retrospectively examined via contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI before surgery. Immunohistochemistry and genomic sequence analyses were performed on specimen materials for the determination of IDH mutational status. Certain morphological and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters were utilized to see if they could play a role to be non-invasive potential imaging predictors in the discrimination of IDH mutant versus wild-type (WT) high-grade gliomas. On histopathological examination, IDH mutation was detected in 24 patients with high-grade glioma and 146 of the patients were found to be WT. Certain morphological criteria of tumor location and involvement, tumor margins, visual detection of diffusion restriction on DWI, and quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters consisting of ADCmean, ADCmin, and ADCr could be used as imaging predictors in the discrimination of high-grade IDH mutant versus WT tumors. Certain MRI morphologic features and visual detection of diffusion restriction on DWI and quantitative ADC parameters consisting of ADCmean, ADCmin, and ADCr can be considered non-invasive, significant independent imaging predictors in the discrimination and can obviate invasive procedures for histopathological diagnosis.

Prediction of alkali-silica reaction expansion of concrete using artificial neural networks

This paper presents a hybrid machine learning method for the prediction of concrete expansion induced by alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and assembles a comprehensive and reliable experimental database comprising of around 1900 sets of ASR expansion data from literature to calibrate and validate the machine learning-based prediction model. The hybrid machine learning method employs a beta differential evolution-improve particle swarm optimization algorithm (BDE-IPSO) to tune weights and biases of the artificial neural network (ANN) model. The model adopts 11 variables as input, in terms of material composition, specimen geometry and environmental conditions, and can predict ASR expansion with great accuracy. The results demonstrate that the established prediction model is able to capture all available experimental aspects of ASR expansion, including: (a) effects of reactivity, size, content of reactive aggregate, water-to-cement ratio, and alkali concentration; (b) effects of temperature and relative humidity; (c) size effects of specimen geometry; and (d) the time-dependent behavior.

STUDY OF WATER ABSORPTION OF GEOPOLYMER MATERIALS BASED ON IRON ORE ENRICHMENT TAILINGS

As you know, the problem of environmental safety is important in the process of mining and processing of ore and non-metallic minerals. In the process of primary processing of ore minerals, the so-called enrichment tailings or production wastes are formed. The resulting waste accumulates in huge quantities, contributing to changes in the landscape and worsening the hydrogeological and sanitary conditions of the environment. In addition, rainfall and meltwater contribute to the constant leaching of heavy metals from waste dumps, which eventually leads to the pollution of groundwater, rivers and lakes. Therefore, the important ecological task of rational disposal of mining tailings is very relevant around the world. Research aimed at developing and obtaining new materials on the basis of this waste is of the greatest interest. One of such directions is the utilization (immobilization) of mining tailings when obtaining of geopolymer materials, which eliminates the leaching of heavy metals from the volume of the obtained material. Over the past 60 years, millions of tons of enrichment tailings have accumulated at the Dashkesan iron ore deposit, which are waiting to be disposed of. For this reason, the tailings of Dashkesan iron ore enrichment were used as a mineral filler for producing geopolymer material. Mineralogical and chemical compositions of enrichment tailings were studied using X-ray phase and X-ray fluorescence methods. Water absorption of the obtained specimens of geopolymer material was researched in accordance with the known methodology. It was revealed that with the increase of mineral filler content from 60 to 90%wt. the value of water absorption of geopolymer material specimens in the first five minutes of exposure increased from 1 to 10,2%, respectively. With the increase of mineral filler content from 60 to 90%wt. the maximum value of water absorption increases from 2,6 to 10,2%, respectively. Keywords: geopolymer, water absorption, enrichment tailings, iron ore.

On the process of designing material qualification type specimens manufactured using laser powder bed fusion

Recent investigations involving specimens for material and process qualification related to the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM) method, point that microstructural quality and surface properties vary significantly based on feedstock material and process parameters. There is currently the need, therefore, to create systematic ways to design specimens for process and material qualification. This manuscript provides an approach to evaluate the effects on the as-built quality based on specific metrics for specimens produced by L-PBF. Surface quality, as well as micro- and sub-microstructures and defects are related to specific aspects of the L-PBF process. To accomplish this goal, a digital engineering approach was first developed to design geometries based on process simulations to account for mechanical and thermal process effects. A parametric AM fabrication plan was then chosen to produce statistically significant populations of AM parts. Moreover, on axis, melt-pool scale, in-situ monitoring data, collected during the AM process, was examined in conjunction with the formation of flaws. X-ray micro-computer tomography analysis was additionally used to characterize porosity levels. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD), as well as surface profilometry were combined to correlate specific process parameters and conditions with microstructural and surface effects.

A taxonomic revision of the Indian species of the ‘Aterinervis’ group of Culicoides Latreille Subgenus Hoffmania Fox (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The seven species of Culicoides spp. belonging to the Aterinervis Group of subgenus Hoffmania Fox reported from India are revised. The study is based on type material and fresh specimens trapped during the Annual Biodiversity Assessment (2nd & 4th) of Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya of India. Comparative redescriptions of adult male and female of Culicoides isoregalis, C. neoregalis, C. pararegalis, C. pseudoregalis, C. quasiregalis, C. regalis and C. subregalis are provided along with the formal transfer of the nominate species, Culicoides aterinervis from subgenus Culicoides Latreille to Hoffmania. A key to the Indian species belonging to the Aterinervis group is provided along with a list of the Culicoides species present in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas.